Operating device for bank screen-wickets.



F. W. SMITH & C. DIPPLE, Jn. OPERATING DEVlCE FOR BANK SCREEN WICKETS.

APPLICATION FILED use I9 1,163,785B Patented Dec. 14, 1915. I

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

mliiiHWi I mimililfih 9% M WM ATTORNEYS F. W. SMITH & C. DIPPLE, JR.

OPERATING DEVICE FOR BANK SCREEN WICKETS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8.1914.

1,163,785. Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

3 30 2 SHEETS-SHE??- A TTOR/VEYS ccccc BIA PLANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATE FFKQE.

FREDERICK W. SMITH, or HEIVIPSTEAD, AND GHAKLEQ DEPNPMLE, JR, oEBRooKnYn, NEW roan; SAID SMITH assIeNcE TO I-IEOLA IRON woEKs, 0E BROOKLYN, NEW

YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. sec.- 14!, rats.

Application filed June 8, 1914. Serial No. 843,692.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we FREDERICK WV. SMITH and CHARLES DIPPLE, Jr., citizens of the United States,.and residents of Hempstead and Brooklyn, in the counties of Nassau and Kings, State of New York, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Devices for Bank Screen-Vickets, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to operating devices for bank screen wickets and has for its main object the production of an operating device of simple and compact construction adapted to easily and eliicientl raise or lower a screen wicket at the will of the operator.

A further object of our invention is the production of an operating device which shall be hidden from the view andreach of persons outside of the bank window or counter so that any unauthorized manipulation thereof will be impossible.

Our operating device is also particularly desirable because of the small amount of space which it occupies and because of the fact that we have provided means whereby the screen wicket when closed, is automatically locked.

Our operating device is a distinct improvement over those heretofore used for the reason that a bank-teller or clerk is able, by the use of our device, to easily raise the wicketbefore him by simply pullinglaterally a handle placed conveniently beneath his desk whereas formerly it has been necessary for the teller to reach over his desk in order to manipulate an operating device near the wicket or else to reach over andof a bank counter or desk and wall forming no part of our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 1s a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview of the operating device.

Similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Referring to the drawings: 1 indicates a bank screen wicket of the usual form and adapted to beraised vertically. The wicket slides, as is usually the case, in grooves'or slots provided in the inner sides of the posts 2 and 2 forming parts of the ornamental metal work which, together with various other posts and glass panels, serve as a partition or wall between theoutside and inside ofthe bank oilices and which form 110' part of our invention. The screen wicket is adapted to slide behind a glass panel 4 which also forms a portion of the partition or wall above referred to. Stilts or rods 5 and 5, made preferably ofmetal in order to give them rigidity and strengthare integrally united with or securely fastened to either end of the lower edge of the wicket 1 and extend downwardly for a considerable distance through the desk or counter G as illustrated. These stilts or rods5 and 5 are supportedat or adjacent their lower ends by the tierod or bar 7 which connects the stilts together.

A drum 8 isprovidedwith two slots or grooves around its'periphery and is pivotally mounted on the stud 9 which is secured in any desirable manner to the under side 10 of the desk or counter 6. A flat operatingbar 11 is fastened to the upper face of the drum 8 by the bolts 12 as shown or by any other convenient means and is provided with a knuckle-joint 13 adjacent theperiphery of the drum 8. The operating-bar 11 extends outwardly and rests on a semicircularshaped supporting-bar 14 attached at either end by the bolts 15 to the under side 10 of the desk or counter, the operating-bar being provided at or near its end with an operating-handle 16.

Our invention contemplates the giving of a vertical motion to the screen wicket 1 by a partial rotation of the drum. on its axis by means of the Operatinghandle 16, or in other words a raising of the screen wicket by push ing the handle to the right and then a consequent lowering of the wicket by pushing the handle to the left.

A vertical motion is imparted to the wicket 1 by means of two endless cables 20 and 20 which encircle the periphery of the drum 8 to which they are attached and which cables are also attached to the stilts 5 and 5, the direction of movement of each of these cables being controlled by a series of idlers arranged beneath the counter or desk, as will be described.

The cable which for convenience we term the upper cable for the reason that it engages the upper slot or groove on the periphery of the drum 8 is preferably fastened to the drum 8 at or near a point marked A (see Fig. 3). From the point A the cable 20then takes a direction indicated by the arrows, first to the left passing over the idler 21 which is secured by its hanger to the under side 10 of the desk or COLlIlLGl, then back over the idler which is mounted on a bracket which is bolted or otherwise secured to a post 3. The cable then takes a downward direction passing over an idler 2 1 which is mounted on a .bracket 31 which is also bolted or otherwise secured to the post 3. After passing over the idler 2& the cable runs upward to and over the idler 23 which is also mounted on the bracket 30. The cable then passes around the drum 8 and back to the starting point A.

A .cable.clamp 35 which is preferably an integral part of the tie-rod 7 is .used to clamp the cable 20 to the stilt 5. Obviously then, a movement of the drum 8 by means of the handle 16 in a counter clockwise direction forces the screen wicket 1 upward, and a consequent turning of the drum in a clockwise direction forces the wicket downward. While in some cases it may be possible to operate the wicket with but one cable and one series of idlers, we find that better results are produced by the employment of another cable 20 and another series of idlers acting on the opposite side of the wicket in a manner similar to the first-named cable and series of idlers hereinbefore described. By the employment of two cables and two series of idlers the wicket operates more smoothly and easily.

The cable 31, or the lower cable, engages the lower slot or groove on the periphery of the drum and is preferably fastened to the drum at or near a point marked B. This cable then engages the lower slot or groove on the periphery of the drum for a certain distance and after leaving the drum passes over the idler 22 which is mounted on a bracket 30 secured in any manner to the post 3. The cable then takes a downward direction passing over the idler 24. which is secured to the post 3 and then an upward direction over the idler 23 which is also mounted on the bracket 30 and then to and over the idler 21, which is secured by its hanger or bracket to the under side 10 of the desk or counter 6. The cable 20 is then brought to andengages the lower slot or groove on the periphery of the drum and runs back to its starting point B. A cableweights might be attached to the wicket in-' dependently of the operating mechanism if it is so desired, but because of the simplicity of the manner of their use and the obviating of superfluous mechanism, we prefer to attach them to the cables in the manner we have described.

We have also provided guides 41, 12 and 13 which are arranged at intervals about the periphery .of the drum as illustratedyand which are preferably attached in any desirable manner to the under side of the desk or counter. These guides fit up closely to thedrum and .are provided with arms parallel to the upper and lower surfaces of the drum, their function being to prevent the cables from slipping out of their respective grooves or slots on the periphery of the drum.

A spring catch 50 is provided near the left-hand end of the supporting-bar 14. When it is desired to close the wicket the operating handle 16 is pushed or thrust to the left from a position at the right of the supporting-bar 14 as has been explained. When the operating bar 11 comes into engagement with the spring-catch 50, the latter is forced downward and then rises au-- tomatically due to its spring action upon its disengagement with the operating-bar. Thus when the wicket is shut or closed, the operating-bar takes a position on the extreme left of the supporting-bar 1e and the wicket is then locked and cannot be raised by anyone on the outside of the counter or desk. The knuckle-joint 13 hereinbefore mentioned has been provided in order to permit the operating-bar 11 to be raised vertically if it should become stilf or caught or to permit the operating-bar to be raised over the spring-catch 50.

It will be understood that our operating device is not limited in use to bank screen wickets but it may also be applied to windows or to any other analogous uses. It will be understood also that our invention is not limited to the exact details of construction and the arrangement of parts herein shown and described, such being for the purpose of illustration only, but various modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of our invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What We claim as our invention is 1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a support, a wicket mounted at the front of said support, a drum pivoted in a horizontal plane and depending from the under side of the support, an endless cable encircling the periphcry of said drum and attached thereto, a series of idlers mounted below said counter over which said endless cable passes, said endless cable being also attached to said Wicket and means disposed at the rear of said support for rotating said drum to raise or lower the wicket.

2. In a device for operating bank screen wickets, the combination with a support, a wicket mounted at the front of said support and slidable vertically, a horizontal drum pivotally mounted on said support and in a plane transverse to the plane of the wicket, means operatively connecting said horizontally disposed drum with the vertical wicket and operating means secured to said drum at the rear of the support whereby said wicket may be manually raised and lowered by a rotary movement of said drum.

3. In a device for operating bank screen wickets, the combination with the wicket, of a support, a horizontal drum pivotally mounted on said support, an endless cable engaging the periphery of said drum and fastened thereto and to the wicket, a counterweight attached to said endless cable and adapted by its action to retain said wicket in any given position, a series of idlers over which said cable passes said cable being adapted to raise or lower the wicket by a rotary movement of said drum, a handle secured to said drum for manually rotating the same, and means whereby said wicket is Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

atuomatically locked when in closed position.

4. In a device for operating bank screen wickets, the combination with the wicket, of stilts or rods fastened to said wicket, a support, a drum pivotally mounted on said support and in a plane transverse to the plane of said wicket, and means for raising or lowering said wicket upon a rotary movement of said drum and consisting of two endless cables each attached to said drum and to one of said stilts or rods and a series of idlers over which said cable's pass.

5. In a device for operating bank screen wickets, the combination with the wicket, of stilts or rods fastened to said wicket, a support, a tie-rod connecting said stilts for supporting the same, a drum pivotally mounted on said support and in a plane transverse to the plane of said wicket, an operatingbar fastened to said drum, a supportingbar on which said operating-bar rests, two endless cables engaging the periphery of said drum and fastened thereto, a series of idlers for each of said cables over which said cables pass, means connected with said tie-rod for fastening said cables to said stilts, means on said supporting-bar for automatically locking said wicket when in closed position, means for preventing said cables from slipping off the periphery of said drum, means for preventing said wicket, when opened, from falling by the force of gravity, said cables being adapted to give a vertical motion to said wicket in order to raise or lower the same upon a lateral m0vement of said operating-bar.

Signed at Brooklyn in the county of Kings and State of New York this 5th day of June A. D. 1914.

FREDERICK W. SMITH. CHARLES DIPPLE, JR.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. OCoNNoR, ARTHUR \V. JONES.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

